GM hiring 1,500 for computer center near Detroit

General Motors said today that it plans to hire up to 1,500 workers to staff a new computer technology center outside Detroit.

It is part of a move to bring 90 percent of information technology in-house, which GM believes will make the company more nimble and efficient.

The carmaker plans to hire 10,000 people at four new technology centers in the next three to five years. The centers will help get breakthrough ideas into the company's cars and trucks, GM says.

Last month the company announced it would hire 500 people for a center in Austin, Texas. The remaining two sites haven't been announced.

The hiring reverses a trend toward outsourcing computer jobs at GM. But spokeswoman Julie Huston-Rough said today most carmakers strike a balance between doing computer work in the company and hiring outside firms.

The company is recruiting on college campuses and local information technology job fairs. It's looking for people to fill jobs in software development, database management, project management and business analysis.

New Chief Information Officer Randy Mott wants more people in the company working on development and innovation, and integrating the tasks into GM's day-to-day business, Huston-Rough said.

The new computer center in Michigan will be housed on the grounds of GM's technical center in Warren, north of Detroit.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said in a news release that this is the first of three announcements GM will make about jobs in Michigan. The company plans to add 2,000 positions and invest up to $300 million in the state. Huston-Rough said she did not know about additional jobs beyond the computer technology center.

The four new technology centers are separate from a GM plan under way to consolidate 23 global data centers into two. The consolidation aims to cut costs and increase speed and efficiency.